Syed Salahuddin

Mohammad Yusuf Shah, commonly known as Syed Salahuddin, is the head of Hizbul Mujahideen, an organization operating in Kashmir. He also heads the United Jihad Council, a Pakistan-based conglomeration of jihadist militant groups sponsored by the ISI,[1][2] with the goal of merging Jammu and Kashmir with Pakistan.[3][4][5][6]

Syed Mohammed Yusuf Shah
Born (1946-02-18) 18 February 1946
Soibugh, Kashmir and Jammu, British Indian Empire
(now in Jammu and Kashmir, India)
Alma materUniversity of Kashmir
SpouseNafisa
Children7

Salahuddin vowed to block any peaceful resolution to the Kashmir conflict, threatened to train more Kashmiri suicide bombers, and vowed to turn the Kashmir valley "into a graveyard for Indian forces."[7][8] He is listed on the Most Wanted List of India's National Investigation Agency.[9] He is named as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist by the US Department Of State.[10][11] Salahuddin dismissed the listing as "a joint move by the US, Israel, and India to express their animosity towards Pakistan."[12][13][14] Pakistan also dismissed sanction against him.[15] In May 2020, an attack on him was called a warning by Pakistani intelligence.[16]

In August 2020 India's Enforcement Directorate filed a charge-sheet.[17] A court in New Delhi issued a summons in 2021 in relation to a terror funding case.[18] In 2022, India's NIA court ordered charges to be framed against him and others.[19]

Early life

Syed Mohammad Yusuf Shah was born in December 1946 in Soibugh, Budgam, a village in the Kashmir Valley. His maternal grandfather Gulla Saheb was a well-known spiritual figure. His father was a farmer.[20]

Yusuf Shah studied under his grandfather's guidance, who took an interest in his education. In high school, Shah composed poetry in English and became an impressive debater. He finished Intermediate in science with first-class marks.[20] Then he studied arts at the Sri Pratap College, Srinagar and Masters in Political Science at the University of Kashmir, receiving his degree in 1971.[20] Later he became an Islamic teacher at a madrasa.

Jamaat-e-Islami

A year after his graduation, Yusuf Shah was appointed as the tehsil chief of Jamaat-e-Islami Kashmir for Budgam. Later he became the chief Nizam-e-Aala for the Jamaat-e-Islami's student wing, Tehreek-e-Talaba. In 1986, he was appointed the district chief of Jamaat for the Srinagar district.[20] According to a biography in the Hindustan Times, he was a notable Islamic scholar and preacher.[21] His Friday sermons at the Exhibition Grounds in Srinagar were popular with the youth. His sermons were contemporary and "had the power to articular what was in our minds", according to Showkat Ahmad Bakhshi of the Islamic Students League.[22]

In 1987, Yusuf Shah contested the J&K assembly election as a candidate of the Muslim United Front, in Srinagar's Amira Kadal constituency.[20] The Islamic Students League campaigned for him and provided the "street power" to counter the cadres of the National Conference. Yasin Malik served as his campaign manager and Ajaz Dar, who had a licensed gun, served as his unofficial bodyguard.[22] There is consensus among the scholars that the election was 'stolen' and Ghulam Mohiuddin Shah of the National Conference was declared as the winner despite Yusuf Shah having had the lead.[22][23][24] Yusuf Shah as well as Yasin Malik, along with other supporters, were arrested and put in jail without trial.[25]

Hizbul Mujahideen

After his arrest for violent protests and release in 1989, he then joined Hizbul Mujahideen founded by Muhammad Ahsan Dar alias "Master" who later parted from Hizbul Mujahideen. He soon took over as the chief of Hizbul Mujahideen and then adopted nom de guerre "Syed Salahuddin", named after Saladin, the 12th century Muslim political and military leader, who fought in the Crusades.

We are fighting Pakistan's war in Kashmir and if it withdraws its support, the war would be fought inside Pakistan

— Syed Salahuddin[26]

In June 2012 in an interview, Hizb-ul-Mujahideen chief Syed Salahuddin accepted that Pakistan had been backing Hizb-ul-Mujahideen for fight in Kashmir.[26] He had declared to start attacking Pakistan if it ceased support of jihadis in Jammu and Kashmir, as they were fighting "Pakistan's war".[26][4]

Designation as a terrorist by U.S.

On 26 June 2017 the US Department of State has designated Mohammad Yusuf Shah, also known as Syed Salahuddin, as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist (SDGT) under Section 1(b) of Executive Order (E.O.) 13224, which imposes sanctions on foreign persons who have committed, or pose a significant risk of committing, acts of terrorism that threaten the security of U.S. nationals or the national security, foreign policy, or economy of the United States. As a consequence of this designation, U.S. persons are generally prohibited from engaging in transactions with Salahuddin and all of Salahuddin's property and interests in property subject to United States jurisdiction are blocked.[7] He is designated as an Indian national with a date of birth of 1952 and addresses in Muzaffarabad (the capital of Azad Kashmir, Pakistan), Rawalpindi (the Pakistan military headquarters) and Islamabad.[27]

Pakistan rejected the US sanctions against him.[15]

Family

Shah is married, with five sons and two daughters.

Two sons were removed from government offices in Jammu and Kashmir in 2021.[28] In the next month one of his sons, Syed Shakeel Yousuf was arrested, in a terror funding case. Shahid, another son, had been arrested before.[29]

See also

References
  1. Kashmir: Confrontation and Miscalculation, International Crisis Group, 2002, p. 6, archived from the original on 26 April 2022, retrieved 26 April 2022
  2. Snedden, Christopher (2013) [first published as The Untold Story of the People of Azad Kashmir, 2012]. Kashmir: The Unwritten History. HarperCollins India. p. 198. ISBN 978-93-5029-898-5.
  3. PTI (8 June 2012). "Hizb chief Syed Salahuddin warns Pakistan against withdrawing support on Kashmir". The Times of India. Archived from the original on 11 April 2019. Retrieved 8 June 2012.
  4. Sheikh, Zafar Mahmood (31 May 2012). "Normalization of Indo-Pak ties hurts Kashmir cause: Salahuddin". Arab News. Archived from the original on 9 June 2013. Retrieved 8 June 2012.
  5. Shahid, Kunwar Khuldune (30 May 2017). "Time for Pakistan to Cut Ties With Hizbul Mujahideen". The Diplomat. Archived from the original on 17 November 2018. Retrieved 27 June 2017.
  6. Pike, John. "Hizb-ul-Mujahideen". www.globalsecurity.org. Archived from the original on 14 July 2019. Retrieved 27 June 2017.
  7. "State Department Terrorist Designations of Mohammad Yusuf Shah AKA Syed Salahuddin". U.S. Department of State. Archived from the original on 21 January 2022. Retrieved 27 June 2017.
  8. Siddiqui, AP | Naveed (26 June 2017). "Kashmiri militant leader punished as Modi visits US". DAWN.COM. Archived from the original on 18 September 2019. Retrieved 27 June 2017.
  9. Bloeria, Conflicts in Jammu and Kashmir 2012.
  10. "State Department Terrorist Designations of Mohammad Yusuf Shah AKA Syed Salahuddin". US Department of State. 26 June 2017. Archived from the original on 9 August 2017.
  11. "India stands vindicated as US names Hizbul chief Syed Salahuddin 'global terrorist'". The Times of India. 26 July 2017. Archived from the original on 21 January 2022. Retrieved 26 April 2022.
  12. Mir, M A (1 July 2017). "Top Kashmiri militant sees 'India-US-Israel nexus' behind his terrorist designation". The Express Tribune. Archived from the original on 18 July 2018. Retrieved 3 July 2017.
  13. Singh, Bhairavi (3 July 2017). Panicker, Raija Susan (ed.). "In TV Interview, Hizbul Mujahideen's Syed Salahuddin Exposes Pakistan's Role In Terror". NDTV. Archived from the original on 12 August 2019. Retrieved 3 July 2017.
  14. "Blacklisted Kashmiri Leader Vows To Continue Fight Over Kashmir". TOLOnews. 2 July 2017. Archived from the original on 18 July 2018. Retrieved 3 July 2017.
  15. Johnson, Kay (27 June 2017). "Pakistan rejects US sanctions against Hizbul chief Syed Salahuddin". Livemint. Archived from the original on 26 April 2022. Retrieved 26 April 2022.
  16. "Attack on Hizbul Mujahideen chief Syed Salahuddin in Pak rattles terrorists in J&K". DNA India. 30 May 2020. Archived from the original on 26 April 2022. Retrieved 26 April 2022.
  17. "ED files charge sheet against HM chief Syed Salahuddin and others for terror funding". Deccan Herald. PTI. 25 August 2020. Archived from the original on 26 April 2022. Retrieved 26 April 2022.
  18. "Terror funding: Court issues summons against HM chief Syed Salahuddin, others". Greater Kashmir. Press Trust of India. 9 December 2021. Archived from the original on 26 April 2022. Retrieved 26 April 2022.
  19. "NIA court orders framing of charges against Yasin Malik, Pakistani terrorists Hafiz Saeed, Syed Salahuddin". Financial Express. 19 March 2022. Archived from the original on 26 April 2022. Retrieved 26 April 2022.
  20. 'Nobody can hand me over to India' Archived 11 January 2022 at the Wayback Machine, Rediff, 8 August 2006.
  21. Abhishek Saha, Syed Salahuddin: From political science student in Kashmir to 'global terrorist' Archived 11 January 2022 at the Wayback Machine, Hindustan times, 27 June 2017.
  22. Saima Bhat, Battleground Amira Kadal Archived 12 January 2022 at the Wayback Machine, Kashmir Life, 24 March 2016.
  23. Bose, Kashmir: Roots of Conflict, Paths to Peace (2003), pp. 48–49: "As counting of ballots begins, it becomes clear that the MUF's Yusuf Shah, a member of a conservative religious party called the Jama'at-i-Islami, is winning by a landslide. This is his third attempt to be elected to the IJK assembly, and finally the public seems to be en masse on his side. The other Shah, routed in the contest, leaves the counting center in a visibly dejected mood and goes home. But he is summoned back—to be declared the winner by presiding officials."
  24. Habibullah, Wajahat (2008), My Kashmir: Conflict and the Prospects for Enduring Peace, Washington DC: United States Institute for Peace Press, p. 61, ISBN 978-1-60127-031-3, Having spoken to several participants, I am satisfied that there is not the slightest exaggeration in Bose's account of what transpired in the Amira Kadal constituency.
  25. Bose, Kashmir: Roots of Conflict, Paths to Peace 2003, pp. 48–49.
  26. PTI (8 June 2012). "Hizb chief Syed Salahuddin warns Pakistan against withdrawing support on Kashmir". The Times of India. Archived from the original on 17 June 2013.
  27. "SHAH, Mohammad Yusuf". sanctionssearch.ofac.treas.gov. Archived from the original on 9 September 2022. Retrieved 9 September 2022.
  28. Ashiq, Peerzada (10 July 2021). "Hizbul Mujahideen chief Syed Salahuddin's sons among 11 terminated from J&K government services". The Hindu. ISSN 0971-751X. Archived from the original on 26 April 2022. Retrieved 26 April 2022.
  29. PTI (30 August 2018). "Terror funding: NIA arrests Syed Salahuddin's son". The Hindu BusinessLine. Archived from the original on 2 June 2023. Retrieved 26 April 2022.

Bibliography
  • Bloeria, S. S. (2012), "Conflict overview", in V. R. Raghavan (ed.), Conflicts in Jammu and Kashmir: Impact on Polity, Society and Economy, Vij Books India Pvt Ltd, pp. 15–56, ISBN 978-93-82573-33-3

Further reading
  • Most Wanted Profiles of Terror by K.P.S Gill, ISBN 81-7436-207-X
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